Plural valves having selective actuation



Jan. 16, 1968 D R. JAMES 3,

PLURAL VALVES HAVING SELECTIVE ACTUATION Filed Oct. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iuvawrca 124 Wu P. JA/mrs Jan. 16, 1968 D. R. JAMES 3, 3,

PLURAL VALVES HAVING SELECTIVE ACTUATION Filed Oct. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5U \\\I\H\HH\\ Y 24 1 7 45 2 7 INVENTOQ DAV/D. A, JAMES AT T025151 United States Patent Ofiice 3,363,652 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 3,363,652 PLURAL VALVES HAVING SELECTIVE ACTUATIUN David Richard James, Covertside, Hasfield, England,

assignor to Williams & James (Engineers) Limited,

Gloucester, England, a British company Filed Get. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 401,1$9 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 5, 1963, 39,306/63 11 Claims. (Cl. 137-636.4)

This invention relates to valves and has for its object to provide a construction or valve which, although having other applications, is particularly well suited for use with a domestic oil storage tank employing a liquid level sight gauge.

\ Sight gauges are commonly provided with isolating valves so that damage to the gauge, particularly to the sight tube which may be of glass or plastic material, will not result in leakage. Self-closing valves have been used which can be operated to take a reading and thereafter closed to isolate the gauge, but in present installations the storage tank is fitted with two separate valves of which one is the gauge isolating valve and the other is the main draw-01f valve controlling the oil feed from the tank.

The object of the invention is to provide a single valve construction which, as applied to an oil storage tank installation, can be designed to replace the separate drawoff and gauge isolating valves at present used. To this end a valve in accordance with the invention has an outer rotary valve member and an inner axially displaceable valve member which are separately operable to control two separate valve outlets, the inner valve member being mounted for axial movement within the rotary valve memher and controlling flow through the latter to the outlet controlled by the inner valve member.

Both valve members may project from the valve body for independent operation, in this case the rotary valve member conveniently terminating in an operating knob with a dished centre from which the other valve member projects in a pushbutton manner and within which it is shrouded to prevent accidental displacement. Alternatively the inner valve member may be non-rotatably mounted with respect to the outer member and alone project from the valve body to terminate in a valve operating knob which is thus turned to operate the rotary valve member and moved axially to operate the inner valve member.

When a valve in accordance with the invention is manufactured for use with an oil storage tank installation the rotary valve member will control the main oil feed outlet of the valve and the axially displaceable valve member Will control the sight gauge outlet of the valve, the latter valve member normally being made self-closing by means of a suitable valve spring. Preferably the valve body is externally threaded so that it can be screwed directly into an outlet tapping on the tank.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, two embodiments of the invention each in the form of a valve designed for use with a domestic oil storage tank installation. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view in axial section of one of the embodiments,

FIGURE 2 is a detail side view of a valve member of that embodiment,

FIGURE 3 is a detail plan view of the valve member,

FIGURE 4 is a detail view of a locking member, and

FIGURE 5 is a similar view of the other embodiment.

Each valve has a tubular valve body 1 with a reduced diameter and externally threaded inner end 2 to enable the valve to be screwed directly into an outlet tapping of the tank. To assist fitting the valve in an upright position the FIGURE 1 embodiment has a split external screw thread with two sections 3 and 4. The section 3 screws into the tank outlet and the valve is locked in. the correct position as shown by a locknut S on the thread section 4. An O-ring 6 in the gap between the sections 3 and 4 is compressed by the nut 5 to provide a liquid seal. The valve of FIGURE 5 has the more usual taper thread 7.

Two radial outlet bores 8 and 9 through the valve body 1 are diametrically opposed in an end view of the valve but are staggered axially of the body 1. The outlet bore 8 which is disposed nearer the inner end 2 of the valve body 1 terminates in a feed outlet connection 10 of the compression type. The outlet bore 9 terminates in a ferrule connection 12 over which one end of a flexible transparent tube 13 of clear synthetic plastic material can (as shown) be fitted; the tube 13 may cooperate with suitable scale markings (not shown) to provide a fuel supply sight gauge. Normally the valve will be fitted in the position illustrated with the ferrule connection 12 disposed at the top. The tube 13 of FIGURE 1 is of FIGURE 8 section, a rod 14 through the bore not connected to the ferrule 12 acting to rigidify the tube.

The valve body 1 has a'through bore and is counterbored at 15 from the outer end to house an outer rotary valve member 16 of tubular form and conveniently moulded from a synthetic plastic material such as poly acetal. The member 16 is formed with an external thread at 17 engaging an internal thread within the counterbore 15. Thus rotation of the valve member 16 results in axial movement thereof along the counterbore 15. The inner end of the member 16 is formed for sealing engagement with the base 18 of the counterbore 15 to control the flow of oil from the tank to the fuel outlet 8 which communicates with the counterbore 15 adjacent the inner end thereof.

An axially displaceable inner valve member 19 is mounted centrally within the rotary valve member 16 for axial displacement along the rotational axis of the latter. The inner member 19 is urged outwardly to the closed position by a valve spring 20 arranged between that memher and a spring abutment 22 within the valve body 1 adjacent the inner end thereof. The closed position is defined by abutment of an intermediate shoulder 23 (FIG- URES 1 to 3) or of a conical inner end head 24 (FIG- URE 5 of the inner valve member with a similarly coned seating 25 at the inner end of the outer valve member 16. Thus the two valve members 16 and 19 cooperate in a poppet-like manner, and an additional seal is provided by an O-ring 26 which seals against a central bore in the outer valve member 16 and is let into the inner valve member 19 immediately adjacent the shoulder 23 or head 24 thereof.

A further O-ring seal 27 is let into the inner valve member 19 at the inner end of a reduced cross-sectional area portion thereof; this reduced portion providing a clearance communicating through radial bores 28 in the outer member 16 with the sight gauge outlet 9. The outer member 16 is sealed relatively to the body 1 on opposite sides of the outlet 12 by means of two spaced O-rings 29 let into. the member 16 and. in sealing engagement with the counterbore 15 in the valve body. Thus inward axial displacement of the inner valve member 19 allows oil from the tank to flow past that valve member and through the radial bores in the outer valve member 16 to the sight gauge outlet 9 to enable a level reading to be taken. On release of the inner valve member 19 it is returned by the spring 20 to the closed position and the sight gauge is isolated from the tank.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 4 the two valve members 16 and 19 project separately from the valve body 1, the outer member 16 terminating in an integral fluted knob with a dished centre within which the projecting outer end 32 of the inner valve member 19 is shrouded. Thus the latter valve member operates in the manner of a pushbutton, an end cap 33 being provided for appearance and operator comfort. The O-ring 27 is retained between the cap 33 and a shoulder 34 on the valve member.

Outward axial movement of the outer valve member 16 is limited by a stirrup-shaped locking member 35 (see FIGURE 4) which projects from a radial bore 36 in that valve member into an annular groove 37 in the counterbore 15 which also allows passage of the oil flow to the outlet 9. The member 35 as is clear from FIGURE 1 prevents accidental complete withdrawal of the outer valve member 16 and the limbs 38 of the member 35 embrace the reduced portion of the inner valve member 19. As can be seen from FIGURES 2 and 3 that reduced portion takes the form of a diametral rib 39 the sides of which are moulded with inclined generally rectangular projections 40. The projections 40 engage similarly inclined slots 42 moulded in the inner faces of the limbs 38 of the member 35, and acts in a cam-like manner to control the radial position of the locking member 35 according to the axial position of the valve member 19. When the valve member 19 is depressed to the fully-open position the member 35 is moved inwardly sufficiently to clear the annular groove 37. The outer valve member 16 can now be removed by a continued screwing action for inspection and servicing of the valve.

In the other embodiment of FIGURE 5 only the inner valve member 19 projects from the valve body 1 and it has an outer end portion of hexagon cross-section 43 which slides in a similarly shaped section 44 of the bore through the outer valve member 16. The remainder of the last-mentioned bore up to the coned seating 25 is cylindrical [for sealing engagement with the O-rings 26 and 27. A valve ope-rating knob 45 is attached to the outer end of the valve member 19 and this knob can either be turned to operate the outer valve member 16 through the inner valve member 19 or depressed to move the latter member to the open position. In this embodiment the outer member 16 terminates some distance within the valve body 1 and a retaining spring clip 46 let into the body 1 limits outward movement. In order to withdraw the two valve members 16 and 19 it is necessary to detach the valve operating knob 45 and remove the spring clip 46; this allows the valve members to be withdrawn as before.

Each embodiment includes a gauze filter element 47 to filter the oil flow to the outlet 8. In the first arrangement the gauze is supported on a frame moulded integrally with the valve member 19; this frame comprises two diametrically opposed longitudinal ribs 48 and spaced circumferential rings 49. The element 47 in FIGURE 5 is self-supporting and mounted on the inner end of the valve member 19. In each case the element 47 is withdrawable from the body 1 with both valve members, the valve automatically being sealed off by an isolating valve 50 which is closed by the valve spring 20.

I claim:

1. A fluid-flow control valve comprising a body having two outlets arranged for separate external connection and a single inlet, an outer and rotary valve member mounted within the body and operable to control flow from said inlet to one of said outlets, and an inner valve member mounted for axial movement without accompanying rotation within said outer valve member and separately operable to control flow from said inlet to the other of said outlets, with the flow controlled by the inner valve member passing through the outer valve member.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein both valve members project from the valve body for independent operation.

Cit

3. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the inner valve member is rotatably coupled to the outer valve member and alone of the two valve members projects from the valve body to terminate in a valve operating knob.

4. A fluid-flow control valve comprising a body having two outlets arranged for separate external connection and a single inlet, said body being formed with an axially facing main valve seating, an outer and rotary valve member associated with said main valve seating and mounted within the body so as to be operable to control flow from said inlet to one of said outlets, said outer valve member being formed with an auxiliary valve seating, and an inner valve member which engages said auxiliary seating and is mounted for axial movement without accompanying rotation within said outer valve member and separately operable to control flow from said inlet and through the outer valve member to the other of said outlets.

5. A control valve according to claim 4, wherein the inner valve member has a poppet-like portion which engages said auxiliary valve seating, and that seating is formed at the inner end of the outer valve member.

6. A valve according to claim 4, wherein the outer valve member has a radial bore or bores to allow flow through that valve member to the outlet controlled by the inner valve member.

7. A valve according to claim 4, wherein the rotary valve member terminates in an operating knob with a dished centre from which the other valve member projects in a pushbutton manner.

8. A valve according to claim 7, wherein the projecting end of the inner valve member is shrouded by the operating knob to prevent accidental displacement.

9. A fluid-flow control valve comprising a body hav ing two outlets arranged for separate external connection and a single inlet, an outer and rotary valve member mounted Within the body and operable to control flow from said inlet to one of said outlets, an inner valve member which passes coaxially through said outer valve member and is arranged for axial movement without accompanying rotation within the outer valve member, said inner valve member being separately operable to control flow from said inlet and through the outer valve member to the other of said outlets, and a valve spring within the body urging the inner valve member to a closed position in sealing engagement with the outer valve member.

10. In an oil storage tank installation, a fluid-flow control valve comprising a body having a single inlet connected to an outlet of the tank and two outlets which are respectively connected to an oil feed pipe and a tank level gauge, an outer and rotary valve member mounted within the body and operable to control the main oil feed to said feed pipe, and an inner valve member mounted for axial movement without accompanying rotation within said outer valve member and separately operable to control flow from the tank and through the outer valve member to the level gauge, the inner valve member being urged to a normal closed position from which it can be displaced manually to check the oil level in the tank.

11. An installation according to claim 10, wherein a level gauge outlet of the valve terminates at a ferrule over which a transparent sight tube is fitted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,005,409 10/1911 Bruns 137-637.2

1,236,372 8/1917 Hitchcock 137-6372 2,507,102 5/1950 Hammon 137637.4

3,117,595 1/1964 Broecker 137637.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 619,246 3/1961 Italy 137637.4

CLARENCE R. GORDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLUID-FLOW CONTROL VALVE COMPRISING A BODY HAVING TWO OUTLETS ARRANGED FOR SEPARATE EXTERNAL CONNECTION AND A SINGLE INLET, AN OUTER AND ROTARY VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN THE BODY AND OPERABLE TO CONTROL FLOW FROM SAID INLET TO ONE OF SAID OUTLETS, AND AN INNER VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT WITHOUT ACCOMPANYING ROTATION WITHIN SAID OUTER VALVE MEMBER AND SEPARATED OPERABLE TO CONTROL FLOW FROM SAID INLET TO THE OTHER OF SAID OUTLETS, WITH THE FLOW CONTROLLED BY THE INNER VALVE MEMBER PASSING THROUGH THE OUTER VALVE MEMBER. 